ALVA, Okla. – For the second time in as many season, the Northwestern Oklahoma State University baseball team opened the season with a series sweep against Christian Brothers (Tenn.).
Sunday afternoon, Northwestern closed the 2019 version of the series with 10-0 win by mercy rule in the seventh inning.
The Rangers are the only Great American Conference team to sweep their season opening series. They return to the field Tuesday afternoon as they close the current home stand with a date against Fort Hays State. First pitch at Glass Family Field at Myers Stadium is schedule for 3 p.m.
Northwestern started the seventh inning with a 5-0 lead. Transfer Carlos Andujar has made his presents in the Ranger lineup known early with a hot bat, and continued the trend Sunday, as he lead off the inning with a single.
A few batters later with Andujar on third and Johnuelle Ponce on first, Colton Whitehouse hit a rope to left center to plate both runners and make it 7-0. Luis Mendoza followed with a double to add another run.
Mendoza eventually crossed the plate as a dropped fly ball in left allowed Harrison Hull to reach base. Hull made his way around the diamond and with two outs, Daschal Johnson ended the game when he punched one through the right side.
Much like Andujar, Johnson had a big opening series, concluding the week with a 3-for-5 day at the plate on Sunday. He drove in the first run of the game in third with a double and plated Mendoza in with a single to right in the fourth.
Andujar was 2-for-3, Marques Paige followed up a strong game on Saturday with two hits and two RBI in the series finale.
The Northwestern pitching staff had a good weekend, capped off by good performances from Brandon Nesseralla and newcomers Beau Britton and Koby Spicer. Nesseralla got the start and pitched five scoreless innings with four hits allowed in the win.
Britton and Spicer pitched perfect innings in the sixth and seventh, respectively. Spicer struck out two batters in the final inning.
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